BY JULIET EKWENUGO
Abuja
Launch Design Shanghai and Hybrid Motors Nigeria have signed a strategic partnership agreement to establish electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing plants in Lagos and Abuja, in a move aimed at boosting local automobile production and advancing Nigeria’s transition to cleaner transportation.
The agreement, signed in Shanghai on Friday, marks the beginning of a collaboration between the Chinese automotive engineering company and Hybrid Motors Nigeria for the production of Acely, a Nigerian vehicle brand designed specifically for local roads and driving conditions.
The partnership is expected to strengthen Nigeria’s automotive sector through local assembly, technology transfer and the development of electric and hybrid mobility solutions tailored to the African market.
Speaking during the signing ceremony, the Chief Executive Officer of Hybrid Motors Nigeria, Mr. Jubril Arogundade, described the development as a major milestone for the country’s manufacturing sector.
He said the partnership represents a long-term commitment to building a globally competitive automobile industry in Nigeria while creating opportunities for local engineers, technicians and suppliers.
Arogundade stated that Acely vehicles would combine modern engineering standards with features suited for Nigerian terrain, climate and transportation realities.
“With Acely, we are proving that world-class vehicles can be conceived, designed and assembled right here in Nigeria, by Nigerians, for Nigerians,” he said.
The Chief Executive Officer of Launch Design, Mr. Wang Xun, said the company was pleased to partner with Hybrid Motors Nigeria in what he described as a transformative industrial venture.
According to him, Launch Design would provide turnkey engineering solutions covering vehicle architecture, design optimisation, manufacturing systems and quality assurance processes.
He added that the collaboration would help accelerate Nigeria’s emergence as a regional automotive manufacturing hub.
Under the agreement, the Lagos facility located along the Lekki-Epe corridor will serve as the primary production and assembly plant with a projected annual capacity of 50,000 vehicles at full maturity.
The plant is also expected to support exports to West African countries including Ghana, Benin Republic, Togo and Côte d’Ivoire through the Lekki Deep Sea Port.
The Abuja plant, which will be situated within the Centenary Economic City Free Zone, will function as a secondary manufacturing and technology centre with an annual capacity of 20,000 units.
The facility is expected to serve Northern Nigeria and neighbouring Sahel markets while taking advantage of tax incentives and trade opportunities within the Free Zone.
Both companies said the dual-facility structure would reduce logistics costs, improve market distribution and create thousands of direct and indirect jobs across engineering, manufacturing, logistics and after-sales services.
They added that the project would stimulate local component production, encourage technology transfer and reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported vehicles.
The companies also noted that the initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s National Automotive Industry Development Plan and broader efforts to promote industrialisation and sustainable transportation.
Industry analysts say the partnership could become one of the biggest investments in Nigeria’s emerging electric vehicle sector as demand gradually grows for cleaner and more energy-efficient mobility solutions across Africa.
